Phonetic Characteristics of Korean w-Diphthongs Pronounced by Female Chinese Learners: Focusing on Dynamic Changes Within the Syllable

Objectives The purposes of this study are to identify the phonetic characteristics of Korean w-diphthongs pronounced by Chinese learners, particularly by dividing the syllable into five segments to observe the changes occurring within each segment. Methods To achieve this, the diphthongs pronounced by 10 female native Korean speakers born in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and 10 Chinese beginner-level learners enrolled in an international education institute at a university in Seoul were analyzed and compared using a phonetic analysis program. F1 and F2 values were obtained at six points within each syllable using a script in the phonetic analysis program Praat, and these were then plotted on a graph. Additionally, statistical processing was conducted for each point to identify differences between native Korean speakers and Chinese learners. Results The results of the study confirmed that Chinese learners tend to pronounce /ㅘ/ and /ㅝ/ as /ㅘ/+ /ㅜ/ and /ㅝ/+ /ㅜ/, respectively. It was also observed that when pronouncing /ㅙ/, /ㅚ/, /ㅟ/, and /ㅞ/, the jaw opening was smaller at the final point of F1. For F2, the values were relatively higher when pronouncing /ㅚ/, while /ㅞ/ showed less overall change compared to Korean speakers. Among Korean speakers, /ㅙ/, /ㅚ/, and /ㅞ/ were similar, but the starting points and movement patterns of /ㅙ/, /ㅚ/, and /ㅞ/ pronounced by Chinese learners differed. Conclusions Through this, it can be concluded that when teaching or correcting the pronunciation of Korean diphthongs for beginner-level Chinese learners, it is important to ensure they are not pronouncing them as triphthongs. If necessary, instruction should be provided to ensure they are pronounced as diphthongs. Additionally, it is essential to check that the tongue's front-back positioning is correct and to verify whether there are differences in the pronunciation of /ㅙ/, /ㅞ/, and /ㅚ/ compared to native Korean speakers.